Europe’s Richest 0.1% Take 4.5% of Income as Country Shares Range From 1.6% to 10.2%
Updated
Updated · Euronews · May 22
Europe’s Richest 0.1% Take 4.5% of Income as Country Shares Range From 1.6% to 10.2%
6 articles · Updated · Euronews · May 22
Across 35 European countries, the richest 0.1% captured 4.54% of pre-tax income in 2024 or the latest post-2020 year, with national shares stretching from 1.6% in the Netherlands to 10.2% in Georgia.
Estonia led EU members at 8.3%, ahead of Bulgaria at 7.5% and Poland at 7%, while Serbia and Turkey also topped 6%; Spain, Germany, the UK and France clustered near 5%.
Researchers linked the gap largely to redistribution, tax design and wage inequality, saying weaker collective bargaining and more regressive systems in parts of Central and Eastern Europe leave top earners with larger shares.
Historically, Europe’s ultra-rich took 6.43% of income in 1940, fell to about 2.7% in the early 1980s, then climbed again and has stayed broadly flat since 2010.
With wealth in digital assets, can traditional tax reforms effectively curb the rise of Europe's new ultra-rich?
If 77% of EU citizens want more redistribution, why do regressive tax systems that favor the rich still exist?
Estonia's tax system is #1 for competitiveness, yet its inequality is among Europe's highest. Is this a model or a warning?